2027 Presidency: 44-Year Age Gap Separates Atiku, Youngest Candidate
Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election is set to present voters with a striking generational choice, as a 44-year age gap separates the oldest and youngest candidates on the final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), leads the age chart at 79, while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is 74.
At the opposite end is the Democratic Labour Alliance (DLA) presidential candidate, Moses Olusoji Adebisi, who at 35 is the youngest contender in the race.
The age difference has introduced another dimension to the January 16, 2027 presidential contest, which features 18 candidates and their running mates.
According to the final list, titled “Presidential and National Assembly Elections for Jan, 2027 – Presidential Final List of Candidates,” and signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, Nigerians will choose from candidates representing markedly different generations and political backgrounds.
Atiku, born in 1946, is making another attempt to become Nigeria’s president after several previous presidential bids. His campaign is expected to rely heavily on his decades of political experience, national networks and record as vice president between 1999 and 2007.
Tinubu, born in 1952, is seeking a second term as president and will campaign largely on the record of his administration and the reforms undertaken since assuming office in 2023.
The age profile changes significantly beyond the two leading veterans.
Daniel Nwanyanwu of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) is 66, while former Anambra State governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi is 65.
Former Cross River State governor Donald Duke, contesting on the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), is 64, while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Sandy Onor is 60.
Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidate Oluseyi Makinde is 58, while African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore is 55.
Kabiru Yusuf of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate Adewole Adebayo and Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate Peter Ada Agada are listed at 54.
Sunday Adenuga of the Boot Party is 52, while Ada Elizabeth Okwori of the National Democratic Party is 48.
Other relatively younger candidates include Abbas-Bin Aliyu of the Action Democratic Party at 44, Nkem Esther Okereke of the National Rescue Movement at 43 and Labour Party candidate Sunday Chibuzo Okereke, also 43.
Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje of AA Nigeria is listed at 71.
The wide age range among the candidates could fuel debate over whether experience or generational change should take priority as Nigerians prepare to elect their next president.
For Atiku and Tinubu, age may become part of the political conversation as opponents attempt to contrast their decades of experience with demands from younger Nigerians for fresh leadership.
Their supporters, however, are likely to argue that experience, political networks and understanding of Nigeria’s complex governance structure are more important considerations than age alone.
For younger candidates, the challenge will be converting the argument for generational change into nationwide political structures capable of competing with established parties and politicians.
The 2027 election therefore presents more than a contest between political parties. It is also shaping up as a battle between generations, experience and emerging political voices.
With Atiku at 79 and Adebisi at 35, Nigerian voters will have a presidential field spanning more than four decades in age when they head to the polls.
INEC has scheduled the presidential election for January 16, 2027.
